


Human Touch

by meanderingsoul



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Episode Tag, Ficlet, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Old Friends, Season/Series 04, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22931539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meanderingsoul/pseuds/meanderingsoul
Summary: This was a nice house, if you liked the kind of building, but something about Radcliffe's home was sterile. Melinda was so ready to leave.
Relationships: Phil Coulson/Melinda May
Comments: 14
Kudos: 60





	Human Touch

If even _half_ the medical staff she'd ever been around had been as quiet and efficient as Aida, Melinda wouldn't have had Phil or Andrew or even Nat get her out of there AMA so often. But even as un-annoying as Aida had been, this had been days exhausted and bored out of her skull mostly stuck in a bed.

This was a nice house, if you liked the kind of building, but something about Radcliffe's home was sterile. Melinda was so ready to leave.

"Hey, hold up?"

When she turned Phil carefully reached out, put his hand on her shoulder.

She frowned at him, because if something was up he'd usually just say, but then he slowly tugged at her, stepped closer and pulled her lightly against his chest. 

Melinda held still, tried not to stiffen up, tried not to sway. 

They didn't hug much anymore. 

Sure, they had when they were little more than kids. There were all those years a quick hug after more than a few drinks was normal, when Coulson would kiss the top of her head with a stupid noise and she'd growl at him for it. But that was a long time ago. They'd gotten back hands on shoulders and friendly shoves after sparring, but it had been a long time since it felt normal, getting tugged under his arm.

Melinda let her temple rest lightly on his chest, blinked at the front door without seeing it. "I'm _fine_."

"Of course you are," he murmured. "Maybe this is for me."

She snorted.

"Hey, you knocked me flat in front of your whole strike team and our new director _three times_. Maybe my feelings are hurt."

Had she...? The previous few days had gaps in her memories. She pulled back to take a better look at him but his arms tightened, a hand between her shoulders to keep her close. So there _would_ be fading bruises. He'd have covered them enough to tone it down, but she knew what to look for.

She'd look later. Right now she let him hold her tighter, let her hand rest against his ribs under his jacket. 

Phil's cheek settled against her hair. He swayed them a bit. 

Melinda couldn't remember the last time he'd just held her like this.

This wasn't cause she'd hurt him, they'd left plenty of bruises on each other over the years. He'd been scared.

Phil's lips pressed gently against her head, the tip of his nose almost chilly against her hair. He didn't make a sound.

It felt like they stood there much longer than it must have been. Fitzsimmons, Radcliffe, and Aida were still talking in the other room when Phil pulled away. 

She stared up at him silently, spotted a few of the greenish smudges along his jaw she knew were bruises. Phil stared back with a little grin on his face. 

There were more lines at the corners of his eyes these days. She liked it.

"Ready to get out of here?"

She was more than ready for that at least. "Please."

**Author's Note:**

> This is set towards the end of 4x4 just after Phil gets to come pick up May for a ride home. It struck me during the aosrewatch how horrible a way that would have been for Phil to lose her, completely helpless to do anything but watch, and that May would have had to find out she attacked him thinking he was a monster at some point.


End file.
